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I love Abbs’s writing and the extraordinary, hidden stories she unearths. Eliza Acton is her best discovery yet’ Clare Pooley As a book, this didn't really feel very cohesive, more a random collection of articles probably written for something else originally and just gathered together here. And the writing style was a bit variable as well. Some chapters feel quite narrative and flowed well, some felt pretty dry. Worth reading, but not that great. But first, she must familiarize herself with a kitchen and gather recipes to add to her book. To help her with this task, she hires Ann Kirby, an impoverished young woman hoping to provide proper care for her ailing mother. Together, these women forge a bond while creating a series of popular cookbooks. It was a friendship that grew over time and endured for a lifetime.
Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2020-08-27 10:01:02 Boxid IA1916602 Camera Sony Alpha-A6300 (Control) Collection_set printdisabled External-identifier I give the book 3.5 stars, rounded down from 4 for the following reasons: I didn't like the completely unrecognizable Ann that appeared in the first chapter and the last chapter. I didn't like that too much time was spent on a dirty old man who enjoyed exposing himself. One encounter would have sufficed! There were entirely too many words that were italicized throughout the book. I suppose it is done for emphasis, but in my opinion, excessive. Why should the culinary arts not include poetry? Why should a recipe book not be a thing of beauty?” Overall, the novel is extremely accomplished, the plot unfolds organically and it’s very hard to put down. It conveys really well just how important Eliza Acton is in the cookery world and how much is owed to her. I applaud the author for creating such a marvellous novel without a huge amount of evidence to go on. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction or those who love food!!
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The bulk of the story takes place over a year so, though in reality it took Eliza and Ann ten years, from 1835 to 1845. to write their cookbook. Abbs touches on the social history of the era including the tremendous inequality between social classes, the status of women across the social spectrum, and the treatment of the mentally ill. The truth about Mrs. Beeton’s book is also interesting, and is something people should be made aware of, in my opinion. The story is told through two perspectives, Eliza, born into a wealthy family who then loses it all and Anne, born into poverty with an alcoholic father and a Mother who has succumbed to dementia at an early age. The two meet when Eliza and her mother open a boardinghouse where Ann comes to work. Told from two perspectives, that of Eliza and a housemaid by the name Ann Kirby, the reader is soon swept into a world where the kitchen is the centre of the household. Eliza leaves the offices appalled. But when her father is forced to flee the country for bankruptcy, she has no choice but to consider the proposal. Never having cooked before, she is determined to learn and to discover, if she can, the poetry in recipe writing. To assist her, she hires seventeen-year-old Ann Kirby, the impoverished daughter of a war-crippled father and a mother with dementia.
How turkey the bird got its name – the Portuguese merchants were a bit too secretive. Mixed with guinea fowl at first. That there is more than one kind of mole (chocolate one mentioned in 1817 first); what really was eaten on ‘Thanksgiving’ moment (deer) and where then pumpkin and pecan appeared from (Europe and the word from Illinois language). I teach English. I listen to books like this as a kind of professional development that you can do on a bicycle, city bus, etc., because you never know what kind of language-related trivia may come in useful in the classroom.Eliza Acton’s original plan to become a poet came to an abrupt halt when a publisher dismissed her work and then had the audacity to suggest she write a cookery book. To make matters worse, her father suffered a reversal of fortune, prompting him to leave the country. Eliza, with limited options, reconsidered the publisher’s suggestion that she write a recipe book. I thought this book could also be profitably listened to by ad copywriters (if such a profession still exists) and people who are in the business of thinking up catchy name for edible products. The voices of both women are very touching. Eliza is very warm and encouraging, taking Ann under her wings. Ann appreciates Eliza’s warmness and kindness, but at the same time still feels guilty for not taking care of her parents. You can sense how much she tries to stay strong, never revealing her troubled past. All innovation happens at interstices. Great food is no exception, created at the intersection of cultures as each one modifies and enhances what is borrowed from its neighbors. The language of food is a window onto these “between” places, the ancient clash of civilizations, the modern clash of culture, the covert clues to human cognition, society, and evolution." The author did a good job highlighting women's roles during this time period and society's expectations. It was something she was able to explore a bit not just with the two leads but some of the other female supporting characters as well.
What menus can tell about the place (expensive, middle-range, and cheap(ish)) through words (fe. food origin mention, fancy words, size mentions, amount of adjectives).
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This book is like warm comfort food and a great big hug. And even though there aren���t recipes listed within the book, you feel and taste and smell the comfort of food and the people who create it contained within.
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This was a beautifully written and very engaging read for me right from the start. I enjoyed following the two women’s lives and both narratives. They two kind of run in continuum with each other since they are for the most part working together on the book, but there are segments where we also follow each of them individually as certain subplots unfold. When the women prep the food and discuss ingredients with final touches, you can visualize it on a tray with its tasty aroma filling the house. The atmosphere of the cookery evokes your senses of taste and smell. When Eliza savors the six course French dinner, she eats it so slowly devouring its intricacies and complexities to a point that you want to grab that food and taste it yourself. The friendship between two women makes you want to join them in their endeavors. How the sikbaj of Persia (sweet-n-sour stewed beef with sweet vinegar in it) became a fish dish like ceviche, fish & chips, tempura, escabeche, aspic – sailors’ help c.10th century; the influence of fish-during-Lent, the conquest of Peru, Portuguese Jesuits in Japan, of Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews in Britain.
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